Ableton! Tighten the Sequencer!

Discuss music production with Ableton Live.
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Tighten up the Sequencer?

YES - needs tune up
40
52%
NO - nothing wrong
37
48%
 
Total votes: 77

forge
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Post by forge » Sun Oct 08, 2006 7:50 am

knotkranky wrote:
OMG, thank you forge, you actually read the posts. Yes mercyplease did a test. He is such a tenacious angry dude but he went the distance and out-classed the others. Yes, big props for that. I suspect he might actually be a good dude. But one problem. Real world circumstances are essential for the test. But what constitutes real world midi density? And what about the joining audio? VSTi, external boxes, interfaces, MTS, USB, FW, 1 port, 8 ports, i'm fucking dizzy! This off course is different for everybody. Then you got styles, oh shit!

What I am suggesting is that the people who have voted yes for improvement have larger denser sessions and/or setups, and the people who have voted no have smaller sparser sessions and/or setups.

Now, should the smaller session votes take precedence over the larger ones? The answer is obvious.
it's been an interesting thread and despite the rows insightful posts have been made from all - at the start I think Mercyplease was right though because he was asking for the specifics of the guys set up - he was certain the fault was not Live and that's why he went on to prove it

then something happened and you both started arguing over ...erm...the same things as far as I can tell! :lol:

like you said, this shit can make you dizzy

I think it is worth doing a test - but the first guy - no one else, and then it's just to see if anyone can help

but actually if he's still around it would probably be enough for him to tell us his set up and then when he says it's a soundblaster with one of those joystick midi leads we can tell him to go out and buy a proper interface!

:lol: :lol: :wink:

tumbleDry
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Post by tumbleDry » Sun Oct 08, 2006 8:16 am

the issue at hand does not relate to drift free external midi to software timelocked sequencing or hardware control!!

my kit list and pc configuration is beside the point. i have used many configurations over the years. (current.. evolution mk449c controller, m-audio delta44 on desktop etc etc hardware... & audigy on laptop. it does not make a difference if its wdm or asio. this puter or that. i do my testing via mouse input to grid)

yes, midi has a bad rep and i am not new. ive been making music since roland released their first groovebox mc303 then moved to pc sequencing when logic audio released dicovery version and ever since felt the loss of tight grooves.

the underrated unprofessioanl kiddy midi software sequencers like fruityloops, energyxt does smack to the beat sequencing and is bringing the groove back for "me" without having the need to move about hardware.

the page, as it is from... http://www.mpc2000xl.com/mpc_timing.htm (not me!!!)

better states my concern but only refers to hardware witout any consideration of the emualtions such as rebirth338 QUOTE*****>Think there's a difference in the versions of the MPC? Here's a note from one of the experts:

Someone wrote in repsonse to my "no one's going to tell what sequencer you are using":

> Obviously it's true that in the end result no one will be able to tell what sequencer you used, but YOU'LL certainly be able to tell while you're using it. Different sequencers do have a different feel, not so much in "sloppiness", but in how they record your playing with different "swing" settings.

Sevo replied:

There is no "swing" magic in any MPC. Timing-wise, there is no difference between the 2000 and 60/3000 other than the 60/3000 have twice the MIDI outs and hence, less likelyhood MIDI jams. All MPCs are solid 96ppqn MIDI sequencers (as tight as MIDI can be, which is not that much anyway) with a absolutely tight internal drum sequencer with zero delay between multiple simultaneous instruments. There is no particular groove magic going on in any MPC - the swing and note shift features are static, faultless and perform no more magic than their counterparts on any mid-eighties software sequencer. If you are looking for advanced shuffle and humanize functions, you'll have to switch off quantizing and play them by hand - or use a big software sequencer and suffer its sloppy MIDI timing.

Someone also said:

> This isn't too important in electronic dance music where you don't really use a swing setting at all, but for other forms - particularly R&B - it can make a huge difference to the composer. I know for a fact that my Linn 9000 has a different swing feel to any software sequencer I've used, and that's why I still use it today.

Sevo states:

The Linn 9000 has no swing magic either! If you are hearing a difference, it will be the higher mechanical precision rather than any artificial human sloppyness - humanizers are the domain of software sequencers. Or rather were - humanizers (which were the most advertized feature in the early days of Cubase and Logic) seem to be unpopular nowadays, and aren't mentioned at all in current software sequencer publicity. The Linn and MPC have realtime OSes, fully integrated sound generators, and a far, far better timing than software sequencers - even more so as the software sequencers have to pump their data through MIDI, which can't handle two events at once. But they are precise rather than magic. Try it, and plug your Linn into a harddisk recorder and count out the samples between beats - you'll see that the beats are dead on whatever grid you programmed or played rather than performing any swing of their own...

Someone also blurbed:

> I mean, if you play the same pattern using Logic to control a JP-8000 that play using an ARP sequencer to control a 2600 the listener won't care, but the composer will definitely find a difference in how they work.

Sevo's final word:

Different issue - ergonomics and conceptual models certainly shape the way you work. But that will alter the beat you write rather than its timing.

Sevo -- Sevo Stille <*****UNQUOTE

can ableton give us the OFF button for the revolutionary computerized humanized???

forge
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Post by forge » Sun Oct 08, 2006 8:32 am

tumbleDry wrote:the issue at hand does not relate to drift free external midi to software timelocked sequencing or hardware control!!

my kit list and pc configuration is beside the point. i have used many configurations over the years. (current.. evolution mk449c controller, m-audio delta44 on desktop etc etc hardware... & audigy on laptop. it does not make a difference if its wdm or asio. this puter or that. i do my testing via mouse input to grid)

yes, midi has a bad rep and i am not new. ive been making music since roland released their first groovebox mc303 then moved to pc sequencing when logic audio released dicovery version and ever since felt the loss of tight grooves.

the underrated unprofessioanl kiddy midi software sequencers like fruityloops, energyxt does smack to the beat sequencing and is bringing the groove back for "me" without having the need to move about hardware.

the page, as it is from... http://www.mpc2000xl.com/mpc_timing.htm (not me!!!)

better states my concern but only refers to hardware witout any consideration of the emualtions such as rebirth338
so why are some other people not noticing it?

knotkranky
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Post by knotkranky » Sun Oct 08, 2006 8:36 am

forge wrote:
knotkranky wrote:
OMG, thank you forge, you actually read the posts. Yes mercyplease did a test. He is such a tenacious angry dude but he went the distance and out-classed the others. Yes, big props for that. I suspect he might actually be a good dude. But one problem. Real world circumstances are essential for the test. But what constitutes real world midi density? And what about the joining audio? VSTi, external boxes, interfaces, MTS, USB, FW, 1 port, 8 ports, i'm fucking dizzy! This off course is different for everybody. Then you got styles, oh shit!

What I am suggesting is that the people who have voted yes for improvement have larger denser sessions and/or setups, and the people who have voted no have smaller sparser sessions and/or setups.

Now, should the smaller session votes take precedence over the larger ones? The answer is obvious.
Yes, I stuck hard to this one and the render one last week. I'm really burnt out on being helpful LOL. It's weird to get so involved and be called a troll, but I know their loyal Abe soldiers. And there's always a lot of balls at the other end of a keyboard in another time zone.

Yup 100% vsti's is the way to go for the tightest computer sound. But if you get a lot going the computer can get sloppy and I hate messing with my buffers especially when I want to drop in an od. I still miss some of my old hardware for that reason. But I can't deal. I love booting up a session from months ago and jumping in. I'm such an impatient audio pig, I just want to beat on my gear and not pamper a thing. It's fun that way.

I think a few rigs may have been tested and tightened up this weekend.

Cheers


Yes, I stuck hard to this one and the render one last week. I'm really burnt out on being helpful LOL. It's weird to get so involved and be called a troll, but I know their loyal Abe soldiers. And there's always a lot of balls at the other end of a keyboard in another time zone.

Yup 100% vsti's is the way to go for the tightest computer sound. But if you get a lot going the computer can get sloppy and I hate messing with my buffers especially when I want to drop in an od. I still miss some of my old hardware for that reason. But I can't deal. I love booting up a session from months ago and jumping in. I'm such an impatient audio pig, I just want to beat on my gear and not pamper a thing. It's fun that way.

I think a few rigs may have been tested and tightened up this weekend.

Cheers


it's been an interesting thread and despite the rows insightful posts have been made from all - at the start I think Mercyplease was right though because he was asking for the specifics of the guys set up - he was certain the fault was not Live and that's why he went on to prove it

then something happened and you both started arguing over ...erm...the same things as far as I can tell! :lol:

like you said, this shit can make you dizzy

I think it is worth doing a test - but the first guy - no one else, and then it's just to see if anyone can help

but actually if he's still around it would probably be enough for him to tell us his set up and then when he says it's a soundblaster with one of those joystick midi leads we can tell him to go out and buy a proper interface!

:lol: :lol: :wink:


Yes, I stuck hard to this one and the render one last week. I'm really burnt out on being helpful LOL. It's weird to get so involved and be called a troll, but I know their loyal Abe soldiers. And there's always a lot of balls at the other end of a keyboard in another time zone.

Yup 100% vsti's is the way to go for the tightest computer sound. But if you get a lot going the computer can get sloppy and I hate messing with my buffers especially when I want to drop in an od. I still miss some of my old hardware for that reason. But I can't deal. I love booting up a session from months ago and jumping in. I'm such an impatient audio pig, I just want to beat on my gear and not pamper a thing. It's fun that way.

I think a few rigs may have been tested and tightened up this weekend.

Cheers :wink:

Johnisfaster
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Post by Johnisfaster » Sun Oct 08, 2006 8:45 am

is he still trying to say that abletons midi timing is bad or am I totally confused on this thread?

personally, when I make a beat in ableton... it goes click click click boom boom boom... kinda sounds like a rhythm actually..... don't know how you could disagree with that.
It was as if someone shook up a 6 foot can of blood soda and suddenly popped the top.

do_om
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Post by do_om » Sun Oct 08, 2006 8:49 am

The discussion about midi timing is subjective and vague to say the least.
It has also been raging since digital sequencers took over from analog.
Still, there are composers who refuse to use digital sequencers at all,
whether its hardware mpc style or any computer sequencer.

Too me, computer based sequencers all have different "feels" under different
working conditions, no matter what platform or program...Yeah Live
can get my blood boiling at times but usually its the damn quantize that won't play
fair with me. I personally think there's alot to be said about why people
pay ridiculous prices for second hand Notrons and why the hip hop community
swear by the MPC series,...A computer is still a computer, open to many quirks
and odd behaviour under different circumstances for different people, whether its
Live or ProTools, a "closed" analogue or standalone digital system is not (heat set aside),...None of this childish bashing can change that fact.

forge
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Post by forge » Sun Oct 08, 2006 8:51 am

knotkranky wrote: but I know their loyal Abe soldiers.
:

dont know if you can fairly say that though - the main dude you were arguing with was mercyplease and you definitely couldnt call him that

that lended more credibility to his case really, because he was definitely not saying it for some kind of "loyalty" to ableton

knotkranky
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Post by knotkranky » Sun Oct 08, 2006 8:54 am

Johnisfaster wrote:is he still trying to say that abletons midi timing is bad or am I totally confused on this thread?

personally, when I make a beat in ableton... it goes click click click boom boom boom... kinda sounds like a rhythm actually..... don't know how you could disagree with that.
Nope i never said that.

forge
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Post by forge » Sun Oct 08, 2006 8:55 am

Johnisfaster wrote:is he still trying to say that abletons midi timing is bad or am I totally confused on this thread?

personally, when I make a beat in ableton... it goes click click click boom boom boom... kinda sounds like a rhythm actually..... don't know how you could disagree with that.
no I think he's talking about MIDI generally and saying that whatever your host there is always room for improvement where MIDI is concerned

meaning there might be ways Ableton can improve Live to compensate for the fact that MIDI as a whole is pretty shit

that's how I took it anyway

knotkranky
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Post by knotkranky » Sun Oct 08, 2006 8:57 am

forge wrote:
knotkranky wrote: but I know their loyal Abe soldiers.
:

dont know if you can fairly say that though - the main dude you were arguing with was mercyplease and you definitely couldnt call him that

that lended more credibility to his case really, because he was definitely not saying it for some kind of "loyalty" to ableton
Oh yeah, your right. I'm getting soft as I get older. :lol:

knotkranky
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Post by knotkranky » Sun Oct 08, 2006 9:00 am

Is MTS (midi time stamping) an interface only issue or does the program have to be suited for it also. Is live MTS ready?

Johnisfaster
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Post by Johnisfaster » Sun Oct 08, 2006 9:05 am

but midi works fine, it's when midi interfaces with computers that it has problems, which to me is a computer issue not a midi issue.
It was as if someone shook up a 6 foot can of blood soda and suddenly popped the top.

forge
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Post by forge » Sun Oct 08, 2006 9:13 am

Johnisfaster wrote:but midi works fine, it's when midi interfaces with computers that it has problems, which to me is a computer issue not a midi issue.
well yes and no - the problems with MIDI are many - the actual serial flow of data handling 16 channels is really inefficient by modern standards - if you have the time read through that article KK posted, there's alot of reasons listed in there

the stuff it said about the USB bus is a very good point, USB was designed for printers and mice - it's better at bursts than steady flow, and USB2 hasnt improved that much

so yes, MIDI handled only internally is probably fine, but externally can have many sources of headphuck
Last edited by forge on Sun Oct 08, 2006 9:39 am, edited 1 time in total.

knotkranky
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Post by knotkranky » Sun Oct 08, 2006 9:23 am

knotkranky wrote:Is MTS (midi time stamping) an interface only issue or does the program have to be suited for it also. Is live MTS ready?
No, I don't believe it is. Wouldn't that be an improvement for abe's to reach for and us to want. External midi as tight as internal.

Anybody here not want that?

I want MTS 8)

forge
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Post by forge » Sun Oct 08, 2006 9:24 am

sorry - you did say when it interfaces with computers - I guess what I meant was - as soon as a MIDI cable is involved somewhere the can of worms opens

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